Country Foods, mushrooms and still not the Z

Would you lend money to Country Foods Limited? According to the Z score perhaps you should have participated in the listing in October 2007. Based on their prospectus and audited financial results for the year to September 2007, their Z-score was high within the grey zone, within reach of the coveted “safe zone”. As recently as June this year, Business Report was describing their winning recipe.

The cause of the decreased Z-score? Two primary items account for most of the change. First, from Business Report:

In its first-half profit statement it reported that profit fell 96 percent to R219 000 because of a late crop and power cuts.

The second is the share-price and thus implied market value, down from a listing price of 100c to 15c.

So, the Z-score certainly demonstrates consistency with the change in fortunes of the company. To this extent, it is a success. As for the use of the Z-score to manage a turnaround, the two useful suggestions the formula spits out to the acting CEO?